Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Parousia

Tuesday, September 22

Who really is the faithful and discreet slave whom his master appointed over his domestics, to give them their food at the proper time?—Matt. 24:45.

“Brothers, I cannot begin to count the times you have put into my hands articles that contained just what I needed when I needed it most.” That is how one sister expressed her appreciation in a letter to the brothers who work at our world headquarters. The timely spiritual food we receive is proof that Jesus, the Head of the congregation, is keeping his promise to feed us. Through whom is he doing so? When giving the sign of his presence, Jesus said that he would use “the faithful and discreet slave” to give “food at the proper time” to his domestics.That faithful slave is the channel through which Jesus is feeding his true followers in this time of the end. It is vital that we recognize the faithful slave. Our spiritual health and our relationship with God depend on this channel.

Commentary

After decades of claiming that the faithful slave had been appointed over all of the Master’s belongings back in 1918 the July 2013 Watchtower reset that appointment to a future day. (The notion of a future appointment was first presented to the Governing Body in the year 2005, in the chapter of Jehovah Himself Has Become King called The Judgment.)

Although Jehovah’s Witnesses now believethe Lord has not yet come, as he surely has not, the Watchtower maintains that his presence and the time of the end have begun. This amounts to nothing more than another splash of whitewash on the wall.

The truth is, Christ’s coming as a thief in the night commences the judgment of the house of God, which is what is symbolized by the household of domestics over which the slave is appointed. After the evil slave is put out in the outer darkness to weep and gnash his teeth, Christ will then come alongside those slaves who accept his discipline and he will minister to them in a very special way. This is the parousia.

Jesus explained these matters in greater depth in the 12th chapter of Luke, as opposed to the 24th chapter of Matthew. Speaking to his “little flock” at Luke 12:35-40 Jesus said: “Be dressed and ready and have your lamps burning, and you should be like men waiting for their master to return from the marriage, so when he comes and knocks, they may at once open to him. Happy are those slaves whom the master on coming finds watching! Truly I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come alongside and minister to them. And if he comes in the second watch, even if in the third, and finds them ready, happy are they! But know this, if the householder had known at what hour the thief would come, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also, keep ready, because at an hour that you do not think likely, the Son of man is coming.”

The Greek word parousia literally means “being alongside.” (See Appendix 5b in NWT Reference) notice in the passage above that Jesus used a similar expression when he said he would “come alongside and minister to them.”

Contrary to what the Watchtower presently teaches regarding his coming in relation to his coming upon the clouds at the finale, Jesus’ coming as a thiefin the night initiates his “being alongside” his disciples.

When Jesus left this earth he assured his disciples that he would be with them all the days until the conclusion of the system. But, obviously, Jesus does not cease being with his followers when once the conclusion begins.

That being the case, his coming alongside and ministering to his expectant slaves must be something extraordinary – far more wonderful than anything that Jehovah’s Witnesses can possibly imagine. But because there are evil slaves — agents of the Devil within Christ’s congregation up until the conclusion – the weeds of Jesus’ harvest illustration – for this reason the coming and presence of Christ is a closely guarded secret.

And until the Lord actually comes all of Jehovah’s Witnesses will remain under the “deluding influence” that Jehovah has allowed Satan to perpetrate.